1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus used for ophthalmic care and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, various ophthalmic apparatuses using optical apparatuses are known. For example, various apparatuses such as an anterior ocular segment imaging apparatus, fundus camera, and SLO (Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope) are used as apparatuses for the observation of the eyes. Among these apparatuses, an optical tomographic imaging apparatus based on OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) using multi-wavelength light wave coherence can obtain a tomographic image of a sample at high resolution. The apparatus is becoming indispensable to outpatient clinics specialized in retinas as an ophthalmic apparatus. This apparatus will be referred to as an OCT apparatus hereinafter.
An OCT apparatus irradiates a sample with measurement light which is low-coherence light, and can perform high-sensitivity measurement of backscattered light from the sample by using an interference system or optical interference system. Low-coherence light has the property of being able to obtain a high-resolution tomographic image by increasing the wavelength width. In addition, the OCT apparatus can obtain a high-resolution tomographic image by scanning measurement light on a sample. Therefore, the OCT apparatus can acquire a tomographic image of the retina at the fundus of an eye to be examined, and hence has been widely used for ophthalmic care and the like for the retina.
On the other hand, the OCT apparatus as an ophthalmic apparatus is generally equipped with optical systems for fundus observation, anterior eye observation, and the like to implement alignment adjustment between the apparatus and an eye to be examined. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-291252 discloses an ophthalmic apparatuses that performs primary focusing (rough focus) of the focus lens of an OCT optical system for acquiring a tomographic image based on the focus position of the focus lens of the SLO optical system for fundus observation. The ophthalmic apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-291252 starts moving the focus lens of the OCT optical system to the primary focus position after the movement of the focus lens of the SLO optical system to the focus position has ended.
If focus adjustment takes long time, the burden on the subject increases.